Becoming Mrs. Lewis by Patti Callahan -Historical Fiction

What would happen if I chose to do something brave…

This is the theme that stayed with me throughout this entire book, as the reader listens to Joy’s inner thoughts.

Becoming Mrs. Lewis written by Patti Callahan, fell into my hands by accident but surprisingly at a time I needed to hear this theme repeatedly. 

This book opened my mind to so many new things.

C.S. Lewis, who actually went by Jack (you’ll learn in the book), is a man I’ve always been interested in getting to know better because I’ve noticed he’s quoted often by professors and various religious leaders. This book taught me as much about C.S. Lewis as it did the woman who became his wife. Her name was, Joy. 

Joy was a married woman with two sons when she and C.S. Lewis began a correspondence. A relationship that started out friendly, turned deeper and became romantic after Joy had to make the difficult decision of leaving her first husband – who was having multiple affairs.

Turning to Lewis for friendship, Joy moved across the ocean with her two sons to start a new life. She created a new home for herself and her boys, and dived into her writing as she too was a successful – published writer.

With time, she and Lewis grew into a romantic love and married later in life. Reading about their life together I found I wanted to read more about the two of them.

Many books of the two authors were referred to in this book. One that had my particular attention was Till We Have Faces by C.S. Lewis. Which is a story with fictional characters but it’s been claimed these characters act out precious parts of this couple’s relationship, including lessons they learned not only with but because of each other.

Joy Davidman is also the author of Naked Tree: Love Sonnets to C.S. Lewis and Other Poems which would be a fun supplement to this historical fiction, or vice versa.

While reading about these inspired lives, I also became even more interested in Lewis. Anyone that has the genuine adoration of children has my attention, and C.S. Lewis is known for his ability to entertain children through his stories. In Becoming Mrs. Lewis, you’ll learn how genuinely he loved to spend time with children, and why.

It was not just a brilliant imagination that Lewis had in order to craft such stories for children. He also felt it an individual duty to distract them from the world catastrophes happening at that time because of War War II. He yearned to simply brighten their minds with engaging ideas, eager to take them to the avenues of blissful delight that can only be found among the presence of children.

The Chronicles of Narnia were mentioned throughout Becoming Mrs. Lewis because Joy’s own sons had a keen interest in them. Readers will learn more about Lewis’ childhood and where some of his ideas began to flourish as he recounts his own treasured memories of growing up with his brother.

In addition, there is a surprising connection between Joy and Lewis with lions, and why they both reflect on them when writing… read for yourself to find out!

Such an amazing glimpse back in history about a woman named Joy. One who chose to live by her own premonitions, “what if I was to do something brave” and the amazing life she lived when she chose not to remain commonplace.